Hope
by Saturn's Hikari
Summary: Haruka really can't understand why she's going back. But she is and Michiru hops on for the ride and well... moral support. Family reunions aren't easy.


Disclaimer: Don't own Sailor Moon or Digimon. If I did, then Haruka and Michiru would not be COUSINS dammit!

Summary: A grownup Haruka turns to the family she left behind and finds things very different from when she left.

I wrote this awhile ago, but never posted it. I've been away from the internet community for a while. Sorry. My best friend's having major life problems and well... I'm having problems with her and life in general and now I know why all teenagers are so depressed. When you ask someone "are you mad at me?" and they say "what do you think?" do NOT say "I don't know." I feel like her boyfriend...  
Sorry, On with the fic.

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**Hope**

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The cars going by, splashed mud all along the edge of the sidewalk, and I chuckled slightly as Michiru daintily steped around it. I just tromped right through it, as I had in all the puddles left over from the rainy week. Michiru turned then, 

"What?" she asked, puzzled, no doubt by my chuckle- I hadn't been laughing a lot lately.

"Nothing, just watching you." I answered and the number of the next grey building caught my eye. 23 Heighton View Terrance. My heat raced and my throat threatened to close.

"Are you sure you want to come?"

She stopped walking then, to put her arms on hips and fully face me. "I want to come, Haruka. I've come this far, haven't I? You won't get me to leave you now."

She reached out to squeeze my hand and some of my nervousness ebbed. Just some though. I wasn't even sure I wanted to come here, to face this. What if?..

"You'll always have a family, 'Ruka." Michiru murmured, moving to give him a hug

"I know," I whispered in her ear. "You'll always be my family. But…"

"You just have know." She finished and I nodded, hugging her tighter. I love her, for understanding, for not caring about my past, for everything.

Michiru didn't mind that I'd ran away and never went back. She accepted me for me, in spite of that. She didn't mind that I never knew what happened to them. But slowly, I did.

When we went to her family's house for dinner, sitting around that table watching her mother and father dote on Hotaru and actually take the time to learn about me, talk to me. They cared about Michiru, accepted me as part of their family. They /loved/. It was perfect, everything I never had.

And I was angry. Angry, that my family wasn't never like this that my childhood was full of fighting and yelling, a little boy's crying. Angry, that my parents never accepted me, hated part of me and made me hate myself. I was so angry, so filled with hatred all those years after

But then it …just drained away. Maybe it was all that distance from, at least seven years from home. Maybe time really does heal all wounds. Maybe…

But, I looked at our happy family and Michiru's (my) family and I wasn't mad or angry. I was sad. What might have happened, had I stayed? Could I have done something, changed my parents, convinced my brothers? Could I have had that perfect family dinner? All that regret, those what ifs, put me now, in front this grey apartment building.

"Want to go in?" She asked and I nodded, releasing her and taking a deep breath. I had to find out. The entrance was bright, a blue color that put me in of the ocean- nice and calm. On the way to the elevator, we passed a little boy, about nine- clutching a stuffed toy and a tiny Kendo stitck. He looked so innocent, such a kid, I that was reminded of another little innocent boy, with the same bowl shaped hair-do, blond though not with light brown hair

But then I saw his eyes, they were emerald green and jaded. What stared out behind those eyes was not a little kid, a cynic maybe, but never a kid. He watched me watching him and didn't trust me, probably didn't trust anyone, tightly clutching that Kendo stick. He reminded me of Yamato, after our parent's divorce.

Oh, Gods. Yamato, T.K. They must hate me. My brothers that I ran from. They hadn't even known about my love life, hadn't been told. Would they have hated me too? My throat closed up. How could I face them?

While I stood thinking by the elevator, Michiru went over to the boy, asking for directions. She walked back over.

"Iori said that there's a Natsuke Takashi on the 5th floor, number 56." She said.

"the boy's name's Iori?" I asked as the elevator opened.

"Yes" she said. "Floor 5, number 56." I pressed the button, then leaned back against the cold metal wall. The door closing sounded like the chop of an executioner's axe. Now or never.

"I had two brothers." I told her, in the silence, looking at the dirty metal ceiling. " Takeru was the youngest, just a toddler when I left. He was such a happy kid, even with the fighting at home. I pushed him out a car's way once. That was the first manifestation of my powers. Fast as the wind- in seconds, across the playground and in the path of the car instead of him. I was in the hospital for a month and he came every day. Him and Yamato with flowers. "

She watched me, silent.

"Yamato was older, quieter. I taught him to play the harminca, just a little, but he kept playing it and play it. Got better than I ever was. He protected Takeru. Anything every happened to him, Yamato was right there to help. He hated when our parents fought." I took my eyes off the ceiling to stare her in the eyes.

"I loved them and I left them, Michiru. I was so blinded by myself that I just left them there. I-"

She cut me off, with light punch in the shoulder. "Haruka, stop beating yourself up over it. You made a mistake, if it was a mistake, but now you're making amends. Don't beat yourself up over the past. It past"

I nodded, but couldn't bring myself to say anything. What was there to say? The elevator dinged at the floor and opened. I mocking bowed to her, lightning the mood and held out my hand to 'help' her out of the elevator.

"After you, Fair Lady."

Michiru laughed at me and took my hand, curtseying as she said, "My thanks, O' Knight in Shining Armor."

Arm in arm we walked down the corridor. Number 56 loomed in front of me as I stepped up the door and rang the bell.

Ding-Dong.

"Coming." Yelled a boy's voice from inside. "Matt-chan could you get it?"

My hands sweated as the door creaked open crack by crack. I got a slight peek at the apartment- modest cream living room with a blue haired boy reading in a chair, and then Yamato stood there.

Yamato. Wide tan face with hard angry eyes glared at me. He was pissed off, Blue eyes like these burning pits of ice. When had he gotten so angry?

He was older, harder. His blond hair still spiky, but less so than as child. It was /styled/ and he wore a rumpled high school uniform. High school… He'd grown up.

I grinned weakly at him, "Hey, Yama-chan."

He slammed the door in my face.

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If anyone wants more, please review. Otherwise I don't think I'll update this.So if anyone's intersted, please review!  
Cheers,  
Saturn's Hikari 


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